A well-rested, reenergized Ceejay Castillejo and Cyrus John Dalosa showed up and transformed Cavite’s game even in the absence of head coach Ryan Dalosa as the boys from Western Luzon got back at their tormentors from Pampanga to rule the Born 2008 Division of the PSL Luzon Regional Finals on Saturday at the University of Batangas Gym in Batangas City.
Cavite repulsed a late rally by Pampanga and held on to a tense 75-73 win.
Hardly utilized by Cavite when it received a 39-point beat down at the hands of this same squad, Castillejo, the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, and Dalosa presided on the team’s onslaught once more, but this time, thjey got more than a little help from their friends.
Castillejo knocked in 15 points, including three triples, two of those happened in the crucial stretch that helped Cavite stave off a huge uprising from Pampanga.
Dalosa, who joined Castillejo in the Mythical Five, on the other hand, contributed nine, lower than what he produced when he pumped in eight three-point shots and surpassed Castillejo’s seven in Cavite’s 88-67 drubbing of Batangas on Friday that secured itself of a seat in the championship round.
But outside of Cavite’s 1-2 punch came the timely contributions of John Russel Cernias, Cyrus Bartolome and Ivan Dimasayao.
Cernias came away with 13 points while Bartolome and Dimasayao stepped up and matched up the bigger, stronger, more athletic players of Pampanga.
Bartolome was a workhorse, finishing with 11 points and 14 boards while Dimasayao produced nine points and nine boards.
But while Cavite dominated the youngest division in this tournament that served as a qualifying event for the National Finals, Tarlac and Pangasinan also denied Pampanga’s teams of winning in the Born 2004 and 2006 divisions, shutting the virtual powerhouse teams of bringing home a crown.
Coached by Kiko Flores, who handled Asian Institute of Maritime School, Tarlac brought in a mixture of youth and experienced players, who played under the same mentor.
With the system already in place, Tarlac was able to outplay Pampanga, 79-70, and claim the under-20 division crown.
John Daniel Guarno erupted for 30 points as he simply ran rings against the defenders of Pampanga to set the tone for Tarlac’s dominant showing
Pangasinan completed the day of agony for Pampanga as it ruled the 2006 division, 87-71.
